Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

— Psalm 119:105

My headlamp is a useful piece of gear for hiking and camping. I’ve used it for walking at night and for finding things in the dark. But during a snowstorm one day, when temperatures dropped well below freezing on the Appalachian Trail, my headlamp battery died, rendering it completely useless.

Thankfully, on our path through life we have a light that won’t fail: God’s Word.

Psalm 119 is one long celebration of God’s Word. The psalmist celebrates the eternal truth and reliability of God’s Word, calling it a lamp for his feet. Now, this is not like stadium lights, so bright that they seem to change darkness to day. Instead, this is more like my headlamp, for moving along step by step. This light illuminates the step I am taking right now, and then the next one. Knowing God’s Word does not make us God. It reveals the love, faithfulness, and power of the God we depend on. It teaches an obedience that gives us confidence to walk with God on dark pathways.

In this digital age, instant information makes daily tasks easier. Google can show us the fastest route for a trip. YouTube can show us how to hang drywall or plant a tree.

But only God’s Word can lead us in the paths that God approves and chooses for us.

Lord Jesus, may your Word guide our paths and be the joy of our hearts. Amen.